“In Tibetan Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is anyone who is motivated by compassion and seeks enlightenment not only for him/herself but also for everyone…

Becoming a Bodhisattva is a huge step in helping not only yourself, but also every other sentient being, both seen and unseen. Most people are self-motivated and work primarily to solve their own problems, keeping others a distant second. Should someone do an act of kindness, repayment is generally expected whether in the form of a thank you and/or further praise.

A Bodhisattva is motivated by pure compassion and love. Their goal is to achieve the highest level of being: that of a Buddha. Bodhisattva is a Sanskrit term which translates as: Bodhi [enlightenment] and sattva [being]. And their reason for becoming a Buddha is to help others. The Bodhisattva will undergo any type of suffering to help another sentient being, whether a tiny insect or a huge mammal. In Shakyamuni Buddha’s ‘Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines’ it states: “I will become a savior to all those beings, I will release them from all their sufferings.” If this sounds familiar to anyone not acquainted with Buddhism, then you only need to think of the example of Jesus Christ, a true Bodhisattva.”

I truly believe Benjamin is an enlightened being who came into a life of great great suffering…He was chained up, starved and ignored for at least 3 years…During this time, I imagine, he was able to withstand the abuse and neglect because his higher calling was to save me, save other dogs and provide inspiration that True Inner Transformation is possible…Then we met- and the journey of this Awakening began.

Because of his initial wounding ( at the hands of most ignorant humans)- he became aggressive…His trust in Goodness needed to be restored and I was the vessel for this path…Through a Silent awareness- I came to realize what he most needed to heal..He needed my Presence, My Centered Guidance and my Willingness to listen, learn and evolve myself…As many of you know, Benjamin led me to my teacher, Alon Geva…Alon taught these principles of Spiritual and Soul development THROUGH dog training. Becoming Benjamin’s leader actually awakened the urge in me to question, ask, seek and find the deeper truths of Who I am.

We evolved together- for our own healing…But what makes Benjamin a true Bodhisattva is that he choose to come into this form as a abused and neglected being TO ENLIGHTEN me. When this seed began to grow in me, Boddhisattva Benjamin inspired the tree to grow bigger- to spread this Awareness to others in need- other dogs shut down, anxious and aggressive from fear and neglect or just misunderstood perhaps. and to their owners- he inspired me to learn how to support them- out of their self judgements and limiting world views. This is still a work in progress for me because just as I continue to support them, I also continue to listen and learn and seek guidance from other teachers and my inner teacher.

Benjamin the Bodhisattva transformed my life this past decade because he opened up my eyes to the Vision that sees Goodness, Hope and Resilency in the Spirit of all living things…Never give up, he says…Never give up.. Grace comes to all of us. Thank you my beloved boy. I have been so blessed by your wisdom.